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Thursday, June 16, 2016

WIN A Pair of American Theater Company's XANADU Tickets ($116 Value) Via ChiIL Live Shows

‘80s date night ticket giveaway: 
ATC's Jeff Recommended XANADU

Photo Credit for all production photos: Michael Brosilow

Here at ChiIL Live Shows we're absolutely elated to be partnering up with American Theater Company on a fabulous ticket giveaway. One of our lucky readers will win 2 tickets ($116 value) to American Theater Company's Jeff Recommended production of the musical comedy Xanadu. 

Tickets are good for the winner's choice of one of the following performances: June 24 at 8 p.m.; June 26 at 2 p.m.; June 29 at 8 p.m. or June 30 at 8 p.m. 

ENTER HERE for your chance to WIN!
Enter early and often through midnight June 21st. 

American Theater Company’s production of the musical comedy Xanadu turns the theater’s warehouse space into a roller disco. This spoof of the 1980's camp classic film features Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) songs including “Evil Woman” and “All Over the World.” Don’t forget your leg warmers!


Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar
Check out our full review below:

Ah Xanadu. The high art of 80's neon, leg warmers, rainbow unicorns and roller disco lives on! American Theater Company's scrappy little musical deserved their unanimous standing ovation for this one. Don't be fooled by the storefront aesthetic. This cast is full of powerhouse vocalists and quadruple threat pros who not only sing, dance and act, but do it on roller skates! 

Photo Credit for all production photos: Michael Brosilow


I'm still grinning ear to ear from this hilarious and heartfelt parody. And I'm dazed and amused they managed to transform their storefront into a full on mini roller rink and theatre in the round! This sweet setup makes for intimate staging, and provides some great audience interaction laughs, and in your face (or your lap) physical comedy.


One line from the show keeps coming back to me, "It's like children's theatre for gay 40 year olds." Yes... Yes it is. This campy comeback is sure to steal hearts. It's wittier and far funnier than the movie it sprang from, with the original pop hits and absurd premise intact, and the addition of better tunes, too. Lili-Anne Brown (Director) has guided this production to the height of hilarity. Landree Fleming (Kira) is a stellar stand out. The quick pacing and impeccable comedic timing of the entire ensemble makes this show a true treat. 








Gone are the peasant blouses and billowing skirts of the movie version of Kira, though the muses do have modified 70's versions of toga like robes in the form of maxi dresses and parachute pants. We dig Kira's ultra 70's costume choices of a terrycloth jumpsuit, leg warmers and giant pompons on the skates. Sonny was a vision of the past in tube socks, head band, cut offs and neon. 


The casting of several of the muse sisters as men added extra levels of fun to this production, and they camped it up classically. We also loved the gentle and too true digs on the whole 80's aesthetic, and on Olivia Newton John's Australian accent and affectations. They even snuck in a nice little Singin' in the Rain tribute for Gene Kelly, who was also in the original 1980 movie. The muses have a much bigger role in the stage version, including an overt plot to hex Kira and make her fall in love with a mortal. 





I prepped for the opening with a family XANADU movie night with my husband, who vaguely remembered it, and my teens who had never seen it. XANADU came out when I was 13 and my husband was 15 -- exactly the ages our kids are now. It was a fun trip through the waaaaay back machine, especially since the movie recreates both the 40's and 80's. ATC's musical version stands alone as a fun romp through the decades, whether you've seen the movie or not, but if you have seen the movie (especially recently) the stage show lampooning is far funnier.


It's tough to strike a balance between parody and snark and ATC's XANADU rocks that balancing act with panache. This is an absolute must see and fun for all ages. This ATC tribute is performed in memory of one of their inspirations, former artistic director, PJ Paparelli, who's untimely death last year shook the company and sent ripples through Chicago's theatre community. It's so great he can be remembered for his driving, documentary style productions on social problems, like Chicago's public housing crises, and also in a playful, high camp way, with XANADU. Maybe he's hangin' on the other side with Zeus and the muses today?! I wouldn't be surprised. At any rate, his life, and work, and even his silly film favorites continue to inspire ATC and Chicago's creative scene.





AMERICAN THEATER COMPANY OPENS
XANADU
A TRIBUTE TO LATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR PJ PAPARELLI
DIRECTED BY LILI-ANNE BROWN
NOW PLAYING THROUGH JULY 17, 2016 

Xanadu takes place in VeniceCalifornia in 1980. Struggling artist Sonny Malone seeks to create his own version of the American dream by renovating an abandoned warehouse into a venue for world-class entertainment – a roller disco! A hilarious and modern update of the1980’s camp classic, Xanadu celebrates the artist’s muse, even when it comes from the most unlikely of places.





Xanadu Performance Schedule:
Regular Run: June 7–July 17: Tuesday–Saturday evenings at 8 p.m. with matinees on Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m.


American Theater Company (ATC) opened musical comedy Xanadu, the final production of its Legacy Season, Sunday, June 5. Presented as a tribute to ATC’s late Artistic Director PJ Paparelli—a not-so-secret fan of this camp classic—Xanadu is directed by Lili-Anne Brown and runs at ATC now through July 17, 2016. The production has music and lyrics by Jeff Lynne and John Farrar and a book by Douglas Carter Beane, based on the 1980 Universal Pictures film of the same title.


Single tickets for Xanadu range from $48-$58. Student tickets are available for $15 with valid student ID in-person at the Box Office. More information and tickets are available by visiting the ATC Box Office at 1909 W. Byron Street, by calling 773-409-4125 or visiting www.atcweb.org. 

The cast for ATC’s tribute production of Xanadu includes Missy Aguilar (Calliope), Kasey Alfonso (Erato) Karla L. Beard (Melpomene), Jim DeSelm (Sonny), Landree Fleming (Kira), Aaron Holland (Danny Maguire, Zeus), Michelle Lauto (Kira U/S & Swing), Hanah Rose Nardone (Euterpe), James Nedrud (Terpsichore/Sonny cover), Daniel Spagnuolo (Thalia/Danny cover), and Cameron Turner (Swing).


ARTIST BIOS
Missy Aguilar (Calliope) most recently appeared as Baby Rose in Babes in Arms, Oolie/Donna in City of Angels with Porchlight Music Theatre and U/S Ivy (performed) in The Man Who Murdered Sherlock Holmes with Mercury Theatre. Last spring and summer she was happy to spend on the pier at Chicago Shakespeare Theater with Disney’s The Little Mermaid (Atina/Ensemble, U/S Ursula), and Sense and Sensibility: A New Musical (U/S Fanny/Mrs. Jennings, performed). Ms. Aguilar’s other recent Chicago area credits include: Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (Ivan’s Concierge, U/S Lucia) and The Beverly Hillbillies (Cousin Pearl/Gloria) with Theatre at the Center; Les Miserables (Ensemble & U/S Mdme. Thenadier) with Drury Lane; Nunsense (Sister Hubert) with Fox Valley Repertory; and In The Heights (Ensemble & U/S Abuela Claudia) with Paramount Theatre.


Kasey Alfonso (Erato) makes her ATC debut. Chicago credits include: West Side Story, Rent and In The Heights (Paramount Theatre); Seussical (Chicago Shakespeare); Iphegenia in Aulis (Court Theatre); Wonderland (Chicago Children’s Theatre); Carrie: The Musical (Bailiwick Chicago); and Smokey Joe’s Café (Theo Ubique). She also stars as Kid Zhuyin in the web series The Adventures of Jacketmen. Ms. Alfonso is a proud graduate of the Chicago College of Performing Arts.


Karla L. Beard (Melpomene) returns to ATC after appearing in Rent. She has appeared in Second City productions of What the Tour Guide Didn’t Tell You in the Up theatre, Soul Brother, Where Art Thou, Rush Limbaugh! The Musical, The Absolute Best Frigging Time of Your Life on the ETC stage, an assortment of Second City BizCo productions, several episodes of Chicago Live! and briefly in The Second City Guide to the Opera and Let Them Eat Chaos. TV/Film credits: Chicago PD, Empire, Mind Games and a variety of commercials. Other credits include: Mamma Mia! (National Tour); Doubt and Little Shop of Horrors (Peninsula Players); Sunday in the Park with George, Anyone Can Whistle and Princess and the Black-eyed Pea (Ravinia); The Amen Corner (Goodman Theatre and Huntington Theatre); The Piano Lesson (Madison Repertory Theatre; artist and music director); Miss Saigon and Hot Mikado (Marriott Lincolnshire); Ain’t Misbehavin’ (Arkansas Repertory); and Ragtime (Porchlight Theater). Ms. Beard received Jeff Nominations for her portrayals of the title character in the Midwest premiere of Dessa Rose, TiMoune in Once on This Island and Young Barbara Jordan in Voice of Good Hope at Victory Gardens.


Jim DeSelm (Sonny) makes his ATC debut. Chicago area credits: West Side Story and Beaches (Drury Lane Oakbrook); Road Show (Chicago Shakespeare Theater); James Joyce’s The Dead (Court Theatre); Fiddler on the Roof (Paramount Theatre); South Pacific (Marriott Theatre); Godspell and Jesus Christ Superstar (Theatre at the Center); Juno (TimeLine Theatre Company); A Catered Affair (Porchlight Music Theatre); Parade and Floyd Collins (Boho Theatre; Jeff Award Nomination - Actor/Musical); The Mikado (The Hypocrites); The Last Five Years (Kokandy Productions, Jeff Award Nomination - Actor/Musical); and Pump Boys & Dinettes (Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre, Jeff Nomination - Music Direction). Regional Credits include: Snapshots (Village Theatre/Arizona Theatre Company); Oklahoma!, Once Upon A Mattress and Plain & Fancy (Round Barn Theatre). Television credits include Chicago P.D. (NBC) and Double Cross (Investigation Discovery).


Landree Fleming (Kira) makes her ATC debut. She was most recently seen as Penny in Hairspray (Paramount Theatre). Other Chicago credits include: Seussical (Marriott Theatre); Spelling Bee (Drury Lane Theatre, Griffin Theatre, Theatre at the Center); Gypsy (Chicago Shakespeare Theater); Godspell (Theatre at the Center); She Kills Monsters (u/s, Buzz22); Reefer Madness (Circle Theatre, Jeff Nomination - Best Actress); and The Giver (Adventure Stage Chicago). Ms. Fleming is a member of musical sketch comedy group Off Off Broadzway. She is represented by Gray Talent.
Aaron Holland (Danny Maguire, Zeus) returns to ATC. Recent Chicago credits include: SISTER ACT! (Marriott); Seussical! (Chicago Shakespeare Theater); Hair (American Theater Company); The Color Purple (Mercury Theatre); A Christmas Carol (Goodman Theatre); Goodnight Moon and Dot & Ziggy (Chicago Children’s Theatre); and Passing Strange (Bailiwick Chicago). TV credits: Chicago Med. Mr. Holland received a BFA in Theatre Performance from Virginia Commonwealth University.


Michelle Lauto (Kira U/S & Swing) makes her ATC debut. Favorite credits include the Chicago premieres of Murder Ballad (Bailiwick Chicago), 35mm (Circle Theatre) and The Boy From Oz (Pride Films & Plays). Ms. Lauto is a proud graduate of The Second City Training Center Conservatory.


Hanah Rose Nardone (Euterpe) makes her ATC debut. Chicago credits include: Bye Bye Birdie and White Christmas (Drury Lane Oakbrook); The Little Mermaid (Chicago Shakespeare Theater); and The Wild Party, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Ripper and Spring Awakening (CCPA at Roosevelt University). Regional credits include: 42nd Street, Big River, Legally Blonde and The Sound of Music (The Little Theatre on the Square); Guys and Dolls, Boeing Boeing, Footloose and Cabaret (Timber Lake Playhouse). Ms. Nardone recently received her BFA in Musical Theatre from The Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University.


James Nedrud (Terpsichore/Sonny cover) makes his ATC debut. Recent credits include: Angry Fags (Pride Films and Plays at the Steppenwolf Garage); Mary Poppins (Paramount Theatre, Aurora); Les Miserables (Drury Lane Theatre, Oak Brook); Applause (Porchlight Revisits); WOZ: A Rock Cabaret (Kim Lawson at Victory Gardens); Three Little Pigs (Emerald City); and Under a Rainbow Flag (Pride Films and Plays; Jeff nomination for best supporting actor in a musical). He has also worked with Chicago Shakespeare Theater, About Face Theatre and Bohemian Theatre Ensemble, among others. Mr. Nedrud is a proud graduate of the Chicago College of Performing Arts and member of Pride Films and Plays.


Daniel Spagnuolo (Thalia/Danny cover) has worked at The Paramount Theatre, Porchlight Music Theatre, ProfilesTheatre, Boho Theatre Ensemble, The Little Theatre on the Square, and Light Opera Works. Danny’s choreography credits: Rent (Theo Ubique Cabaret); The Full Monty (Kokandy Productions; Non-Equity Jeff Award Nomination); Godspell and A New Brain (Brown Paper Box Co.; Broadway World Nominations); The Little Mermaid (Drury Lane Oakbrook); and Ruthless (Big Noise). Mr. Spagnuolo has served as assistant choreographer on such productions as A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Porchlight Music Theatre) and American Idiot (The Hypocrites).
Cameron Turner (Swing) makes his ATC debut. He is a Chicago-based actor/director/choreographer and proud graduate of The Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. Previous performance credits include: Jesus Christ Superstar (Theo Ubique Cabaret); DamnYankees and Annie Get Your Gun (Light Opera Works); and Les Miserables and A Chorus Line (Timber Lake Playhouse). Other Chicago credits include: 35MM: A Musical Exhibition (Director/Choreographer - Circle Theatre); The Boy From Oz (Choreographer - Pride Film & Plays); Jesus Christ Superstar (Asst. Choreographer - Theo Ubique Cabaret); and The Wild Party (Asst. Choreographer - Bailiwick Chicago).


Douglas Carter Beane’s (Playwright) plays include: The Nance, The Little Dog Laughed (Tony, Olivier nominations; GLAAD Media Award), Mr. & Mrs. Fitch, As Bees in Honey Drown (Outer Critics Circle, Gassner Playwriting awards), Advice From a Caterpillar, The Country Club, Music From a Sparkling Planet, The Cartells.  Musicals: Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella(Tony nom.), Sister Act (Tony nom.), Lysistrata Jones (Tony nom.), Xanadu (Tony nom.; Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle awards). Revues: White Lies; Mondo Drama; The Late, Late Show. Opera: Die Fledermaus (Met). Screenplays: To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything! Julie Newmar; Advice From a Caterpillar (Best Feature, Aspen Comedy Festival).  Producer: 21 plays as founder and artistic director of New York’s Drama Dept. Member of the Dramatists Guild and is on the Playwrights Walk of Fame at the Lucille Lortel Theatre.
Jeff Lynne (Music and Lyrics) is a founding member of the Electric Light Orchestra, or ELO, whose discography includes five platinum-selling albums: Face the Music, A New World Record, Out of the Blue, Discovery, and Xanadu. In addition to his recording work with the ELO, Lynne co-produced studio albums by George Harrison (Cloud Nine), Roy Orbison (Mystery Girl), Tom Petty (Full Moon Fever), Ringo Starr (Time Takes Time), and Paul McCartney (Flaming Pie). He co-founded the "supergroup," the Traveling Wilburys, with Tom Petty, Roy Orbison, Bob Dylan, and George Harrison. Lynn co-wrote and produced the track "Let It Shine" for Beach Boy Brian Wilson's debut solo album in 1988.


John Farrar (Music and Lyrics) is a music producer, guitarist, singer, and former member of the British rock group, The Shadows. He worked extensively with Olivia Newton-John, producing fourteen of her albums and writing many of her hit singles, including "You're the One That I Want" (Golden Globe nom.), "Hopelessly Devoted to You" (Academy Award nom.), and "Have You Never Been Mellow." He co-wrote with Tim Rice songs for the 1995 musical, Heathcliff, and collaborated with Francis Ford Coppola to create songs for a new musical, Gidget.


Lili-Anne Brown (Director) is the Artistic Director of Bailiwick Chicago. She received the Joseph Jefferson Award in 2014 (Direction of a Musical) for her direction of Ahrens & Flaherty's Dessa Rose. Other directing credits include: Michael John LaChiusa's See What I Wanna See (Steppenwolf Theatre Garage Rep), the critically acclaimed Chicago premiere of Passing Strange (BTA Award for Best Director of a Musical, Jeff Award nomination for Best Director of a Musical), and the world premiere of Princess Mary Demands Your Attention by Aaron Holland, for Bailiwick Chicago; On the Boards and Hearts of Darkness at Roosevelt University; and Hairspray, Unnecessary Farce, Cabaret, Sweet Charity, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story, all at Timber Lake Playhouse, where she is an Artistic Associate. Upcoming next season: American Idiot at Northwestern University and Jabari Dreams of Freedom by Nambi Kelley at Chicago Children's Theatre. She works as an actor, director and educator, both locally and regionally, and is a member of Actors’ Equity Association and SAG-AFTRA, and an associate of SDC. Lili-Anne is a Northwestern University graduate (Performance Studies), and a proud native Chicagoan.


About American Theater Company
American Theater Company (ATC) challenges and inspires its community by exploring stories that ask the question, "What does it mean to be an American?" ATC’s Ensemble includes Patrick Andrews, Kareem Bandealy, Jaime Castañeda, Kelly O’Sullivan, Tyler Ravelson, and Sadieh Rifai.


American Theater Company is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency, and CityArts grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, the Lloyd A. Fry Foundation, Polk Bros. Foundation, the MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at Prince, and the Shubert Foundation.


Disclosure: Thanks to American Theater Company for providing one of our lucky readers with 2 tickets ($116 value) to their Jeff Recommended production of the musical comedy Xanadu. I have also been given a pair of tickets for the press opening to facilitate my review. As always, all opinions are my own.

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Coen Brothers' Blood Simple 4K Digital Restoration Opens at Music Box July 8th

ChiIL Flix Picks

BLOOD SIMPLE, the first film by Joel and Ethan Coen, opens at The Music Box Theatre on Friday, July 8th, 2016 on a stunning 4K Digital Restoration!


To honor this brand new restoration, The Music Box has programmed A Coen Brothers Retrospective. Films include FARGO, BARTON FINK, and THE MAN WHO ISN’T THERE. Each film will be shown on 35mm! Schedule to be announced. 

BLOOD SIMPLE opens on a brand new restoration  at The Music Box on Friday, July 8th. Color correction and restoration were supervised and approved by filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen, as well as director of photography Barry Sonnenfeld. For further information on BLOOD SIMPLE and the Coen Brothers retrospective, please visit www.musicboxtheatre.com.


About Joel and Ethan Coen- (writers/directors/ producers/editors)
The Coen Brothers began making films in their backyard as children, using a Super 8 camera to re-create late-night-TV staples in a manner that foreshadowed their future tendency to re-envision classic Hollywood genres. After Joel graduated from New York University’s lm program and worked on a number of industrial films (as well as future Coen collaborator Sam Raimi’s The Evil Dead), and Ethan completed his studies in philosophy at Princeton, the pair teamed up in 1984 to produce Blood Simple, which made waves at the Sundance Film Festival and quickly became a critical hit upon its commercial release. Having established themselves as key figures in the new American independent cinema of the 1980s, the brothers further burnished their reputation with increasingly popular films such as Raising Arizona, Miller’s Crossing, and Barton Fink, which won the Palme d’Or at Cannes and garnered three Academy Award nominations.

About BLOOD SIMPLE-
This razor-sharp modern lm noir, the rst lm by Joel and Ethan Coen, introduced the brothers’ inimitable black humor and eccentric sense of character, a sensibility that has helped shape the course of contemporary American cinema. Deep in the heart of Texas, a sleazy bar owner suspects his wife of having an a air and hires a private detective to con rm his suspicions—only to have the crosshairs turned back on himself. Playfully shot by Barry Sonnenfeld and featuring a haunting score by Carter Burwell and a cunning performance by Frances McDormand, Blood Simple was a career-launching lm for this ensemble and the rst articulation of the precision of style that has de ned the Coens’ work ever since.



About The Music Box Theatre-
For the last two decades, the Music Box Theatre has been the premiere venue in Chicago for independent and foreign films. It currently has the largest theater space operated full time in the city. The Music Box Theatre is independently owned and operated by the Southport Music Box Corporation. SMBC, through itsMusic Box Films division, also distributes foreign and independent films in the theatrical, DVD and television markets throughout the United States.


Follow The Music Box Theatre on Instagram @musicboxchicago and Twitter @musicboxtheatre

OPENING: COR Present's Brecht's The Good Person of Szechwan at A Red Orchid Theatre

Chi IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

"BRECHT MEETS EMPIRE" 
COR ADDS SIZZLE TO CHICAGO SUMMER THEATER WITH
THE GOOD PERSON OF SZECHWAN, 
AUG. 11-SEPT. 11 AT A RED ORCHID THEATRE


**Note: For adult audiences only. Contains sexual content and partial nudity.**


"Our theater must stimulate a desire for understanding, 
a delight in changing reality." 
~Bertolt Brecht

Cor Theatre, the bold new Chicago storefront company hailed for "Most Promising Debut" last season by Time Out Chicago, continues its 2016 season with a scorching new production of Bertolt Brecht's The Good Person of Szechwan.

Cor company member Ernie Nolan directs Tony Kushner's translation of Brecht's popular parable of good and evil. Fellow Cor ensemble member Will Von Vogt plays the title role of the good hearted prostitute, Shen Te, just one example of non-traditional, color and gender-blind casting in what promises to be one of the most talked about Chicago theater offerings this summer.

In The Good Person of Szechwan, three gods are on a journey to find out if there are any good people left on earth. Only Shen Te, a kind and generous prostitute, offers them shelter. With the money they give her she opens a tobacco shop. At once everyone needs her help. Her livelihood is in danger. Worse, she is falling in love with Sun, a pilot, who is robbing her blind. Her hard hearted cousin, Shui Ta, arrives to protect her. Who is he and how can good people stay good in a world of poverty and cruelty?

Cor's epic production is set in a multicultural, urban environment on the brink of change, much like Chicago. Infused with hot hip hop beats, Cor's new "Brecht meets Empire" take on Good Person will remind audiences that Brecht was not only one of the greatest theatrical thinkers of the last century, but entertainers as well.

"Brecht's brilliant play, which grapples with themes of income and gender inequality, poverty and urban decay, seems just as relevant today, if not more so, than it did when he completed it in 1940," said director Ernie Nolan. "As the nation debates issues of sex and gender identity, as our presidential race is speeding up, and with our presidential candidates asking us to consider why they are 'good' for the job, Good Person examines Shen Te's struggle to be 'good' in a world where goodness isn't exactly in demand." 

The Good Person of Szechwan, Brecht's parable of good and evil, 
was first performed in 1943 and remains one of his 
most frequently produced plays worldwide. 

Performances of Cor Theatre's The Good Person of Szechwan are August 11-September 11, 2016 at A Red Orchid Theatre, 1531 N. Wells Street in Chicago's Old Town neighborhood. Previews are Thursday through Saturday, August 11-13, at 7:30 pm. 

Gala opening is Monday, August 15 at 7:30 p.m. Gala opening tickets are $75 and include a pre-show reception with food and cocktails, the show and a champagne toast with the cast and crew after the performance.

Performances run through September 11: Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday at 3 p.m. Tickets are $25; $10 students and industry. Tickets go on sale July 1. For tickets and information, visit CorTheatre.org or call (866) 811-4111

Top: Cor Theatre company member Will Von Vogt portrays Shen Te in the company's new production of The Good Person of Szechwan. Middle, from left: Ernie Nolan will direct Cor Theatre's The Good Person of Szechwan starring Will Von Vogt in the title role. Reflecting the diversity of Chicago, the cast also features Jos N. Banks, Dawn Bless, Chris Brickhouse, Michael Buono, (bottom, from left) Ben Chang, Isabella Coelho, Aida Delaz, Niko Kourtis, Narciso Lobo, Jeri Marshall and Lea Pascal. 

In addition to Von Vogt as Shen Te, Cor's 12-person cast for Good Person reflects the diversity of Chicago: Dawn Bless as Wang the Watercarrier, Chris Brickhouse as Sun/Husband, Niko Kourtis as Shu Fu/Wife, Jeri Marshall as Mrs. Shin, Lea Pascal as Mrs. Mi Tzu, Narciso Lobo as Policeman/Mrs. Yang/Unemployed Man, Ben Chang as God 3/ Grandfather/Old Prostitute, Jos N. Banks as God 2/Sister in Law/Guard, Aida Delaz as God 1/Carpenter/ Guard, Michael Buono as Nephew/Male Vocal and Isabella Coelho as Niece.

Designers are Stefin Steberl (set and props), Alarie Hammock (costumes), Claire Chrzan (lights), Matt Reich (sound), Adam Gutkin (technical director), Tosha Fowler (movement), Elyse Cowles (production manager) and Meredith Matthews (production stage manager.) Tosha Fowler is Producing Artistic Director of Cor Theatre.

Ernie Nolan is an award winning director and playwright who received the Illinois Theatre Association's 2014 award for Excellence in Theatre for Young Audiences. He is a company member of Cor Theatre and last year he directed Love and Human Remains which New City named one of the "Top Five Dramas of 2015." For Chicago Playworks he has directed The BFG, The Giver, The Witches, A Wrinkle in Time, Number the Stars, and The Day John Henry Came to School. His work at The Broadway Playhouse includes A Charlie Brown Christmas, Fancy Nancy The Musical, Pinkalicious, The Cat in the Hat, Cinderella, Charlotte's Web and the world premiere of Hansel and Gretel: A Wickedly Delicious Musical Treat with Justin Roberts. Nolan's playwriting has been produced nationally and at such theatres as The Coterie, First Stage, Walnut Street, Orlando Rep and Children's Theatre of Charlotte. He has written commissions for Adventure Theatre in Glen Echo, MD, La Jolla Playhouse in La Jolla, CA, The Milwaukee Zoological Society, and his latest commission, My Broken Doll, for the Institute for Holocaust Education and The Circle Theatre in Omaha, Nebraska. Also a resident artist of The Coterie Theatre in Kansas City, MO, he has directed and choreographed world premieres by such Tony­-nominated artists as Willy and Rob Reale, Stephen Schwartz, Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens, and Bill Russell and Henry Krieger Nolan is an Assistant Professor of Theatre Studies at The Theatre School at DePaul University as well as the Vice President of Theatre for Young Audiences USA. He is a graduate of both the University of Michigan Musical Theatre Program (BFA Musical Theatre) and The Theatre School at DePaul University (MFA Directing).

Will Von Vogt (Shen Te) is an ensemble member at Cor, where he co-starred earlier this season in Christina, The Girl King, and in last season's A Map of Virtue. Other credits include The Other Theatre Company's revival of Bent, along with Romeo and Juliet, The Heidi Chronicles, Blur, The Altruists, Empire Falls (HBO), Google Me Love (produced by the Wachowskis) and serving on the producing team of Salonathon                                                                          

Tony Kushner (translator) is the Pulitzer Prize winning playwright, screenwriter, and author whose works have played everywhere from Broadway to HBO. His play Angels in America earned him the Pulitzer Prize, among many other awards. His other acclaimed plays include Slavs, Homebody/Kabul and Caroline, or Change

German playwright, poet and director Bertolt Brecht (playwright, 1898-1956) established himself as a playwright during the 1920s and early 1930s with plays such as Baal, Man is Man, The Threepenny Opera and The Mother. In 1933, as Hitler came to power in Germany, he fled to Scandinavia before settling in the U.S. During the war years, he wrote many of his best known plays including The Life of Galileo, The Caucasian Chalk Circle, Mother Courage and Her Children and The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui


About Cor Theatre
Cor Theatre (cortheatre.org) debuted in September 2012 with a vision to create theatrical experiences that are rarely presented in Chicago by artists who seek to defy expectation. Cor's mission is to explore the inner truth of the human experience through storytelling that defies convention, and to engage audiences by telling stories that take courage to tell. 


Cor's first production, Skin Tight by Gary Henderson, produced by Tosha Fowler and Victoria Delorio in 2012 at A Red Orchid, was rewarded with enthusiastic audiences, critical acclaim and made just enough money to establish a not-for-profit corporation. The company subsequently named itself Cor Theatre, deriving its name from the Latin root of courage - meaning heart.

In 2015, Cor expanded to a two-show season launching with an acclaimed production of Erin Courtney's A Map of Virtue, named Most Promising Debut by Time Out Chicago, and nominated for several Time Out Chicago Theatre Awards including Best Supporting Actress (Scottie Caldwell) and Best Design (Tierra G. Novy, set; Stefin Steberl, costumes and props; Eric Vigo, lights; and Jeffrey Levin, sound.)

Cor's second 2015 production, Love and Human Remains, the first professional staging of Brad Fraser's controversial play in Chicago in 20 years, was directed by Ernie Nolan, played to numerous sold-out houses and was listed as one of the top plays to see by Windy City Times and New City.

To kick off its 2016 season this past spring, Cor staged a daring U.S. debut of Christina, The Girl King, Linda Gaboriau's translation of French playwright Michel Marc Bouchard's 2012 play Christine, la reine-garcon, based on the true life of the 17th century's Queen Christina of Sweden. In response, New City reiterated its praise for Cor, calling the company "trailblazing," a "gifted and brave collection of artists," adding "It is one thing to be captivated or even moved by theater. Yet, to be excited or energized are experiences far more rare. These are reactions spurred from witnessing originality and fearlessness."

Today, Cor is proud to be one of Chicago's newest and most ambitious Chicago professional theatre companies with a growing board and strong experience behind it. Company members are Tony Bozzuto, Chris Brickhouse, Elyse Cowles, Tosha Fowler, Adam Gutkin, Alarie Hammock, Topher Kielbasa, Jeffrey Levin, Claire Meyers, Ernie Nolan, Stefin Steberl, Eric Vigo and Will Von Vogt. 

Get Social:

For more information, visit cortheatre.org, like Cor Theatre on Facebook, follow the company on Twitter, @CorTheatre, or call (866) 811-4111.

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

HAMILTON Chicago Tickets On Sale Tuesday June 21st

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

HAMILTON
PUBLIC ON SALE TUESDAY, JUNE 21
 PERFORMANCES BEGIN SEPTEMBER 27 AT
THE PRIVATEBANK THEATRE




Hamiltonmania has hit the nation and it's coming to Chicago! The buzz is real people, and tickets to this Broadway show are beyond HOT. Mark your calendars and get your legit tickets directly from the box office as soon as humanly possible. This award winning show's gotten rave reviews and is sure to sell out fast. They even have a baby camel namesake "Alexander Camelton" at Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo!



Producer Jeffrey Seller and Broadway In Chicago today announced that single tickets for HAMILTON will go on-sale to the public on Tuesday, June 21stTickets will be available for performances September 27, 2016 through March 19, 2017.   

On Tuesday, June 21 at 10:00 a.m. tickets will be available at The PrivateBank Theatre (18 W. Monroe St.) Box Office, the Broadway In Chicago Ticket Line (800-775-2000) and online at www.BroadwayInChicago.com




There is a maximum purchase limit of 6 tickets per household.  Tickets range from $65 - $180 for regular performances with select number of premium seats available for all performances and some increased pricing during the holidays. There will be a day of show drawing for forty-four (44) $10 seats for all performances in the first two rows and boxes of the theater (a few exceptions apply). 

Jeffrey Seller notes, “It's tempting to get tickets any way you can. There are many sites and people that are selling overpriced, and in some cases, fraudulent tickets. For the best seats, the best prices and to eliminate the risk of counterfeit tickets, all purchases should be made through authorized Broadway In Chicago outlets.” 



With book, music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, direction by Thomas Kail, choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler and musical direction and orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire, HAMILTON is based on Ron Chernow’s biography of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton.

HAMILTON is the story of America's Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, an immigrant from the West Indies who became George Washington's right-hand man during the Revolutionary War and was the new nation’s first Treasury Secretary.  Featuring a score that blends hip-hop, jazz, blues, rap, R&B, and Broadway, HAMILTON is the story of America then, as told by America now.  




HAMILTON’s creative team previously collaborated on the 2008 Tony Award ® Winning Best Musical IN THE HEIGHTS.

HAMILTON features scenic design by David Korins, costume design by Paul Tazewell, lighting design by Howell Binkley, sound design by Nevin Steinberg, hair and wig design by Charles G. LaPointe, and casting by Telsey + Company, Bethany Knox, CSA.

The musical is produced by Jeffrey Seller, Sander Jacobs, Jill Furman and The Public Theater.

The HAMILTON Original Broadway Cast Recording is available everywhere nationwide.  The HAMILTON recording received a 2016 Grammy for Best Musical Theatre Album. 





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ABOUT BROADWAY IN CHICAGO


Broadway In Chicago was created in July 2000 and over the past 16 years has grown to be one of the largest commercial touring homes in the country.  A Nederlander Presentation, Broadway In Chicago lights up the Chicago Theater District entertaining well up to 1.7 million people annually in five theatres.  Broadway In Chicago presents a full range of entertainment, including musicals and plays, on the stages of five of the finest theatres in Chicago’s Loop including its newly named The PrivateBank Theatre, the Oriental Theatre, Cadillac Palace Theatre, the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University and just off the Magnificent Mile, the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place.

Monday, June 13, 2016

“Flamenco Passion” Concerts return to the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts June 17-19.


ENSEMBLE ESPAÑOL HEATS UP THE NORTH SHORE CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS IN SKOKIE WITH FLAMENCO PASSION PERFORMANCES JUNE 17-19 



40th Anniversary Celebration Culminates 
with World Premieres by 
Internationally Acclaimed Choreographers 
Angel Rojas and Carlos Rodriguez and 
Paloma Gomez, 
Dame Libby Komaiko’s Masterpiece “Bolero” and More 

Ensemble Español’s popular “Flamenco Passion” concerts return to the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd, June 17-19. These performances are part of the company’s 2016 American Spanish Dance and Music Festival, June 8-25. This annual event, now in its 40th year, features performances, classes, seminars and lectures, showcasing the elegance and passion of Spain’s dance, music and culture. 


Tickets
Friday, June 17 at 7:30 p.m., Saturday June 18 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, June 19 at 3 p.m. Tickets are $46-$26.  Free parking is available. For tickets, call 847.673.6300 or visit northshorecenter.org/EE40.

This year’s “Flamenco Passion” performances feature more than 40 dancers, musicians and guest artists in an array of classical, traditional, contemporary and Flamenco styles. The world premiere of the highly anticipated "Iroko," choreographed by world-renowned dancers and choreographers Angel Rojas and Carlos Rodriguez, is a centerpiece of the festival. Named for an African tree, Iroko is the perfect title for this work, as it celebrates the roots and branches of Spanish dance and its relationship to the continents of Europe, Africa and the Americas. This new Flamenco contemporary ballet is composed to original music by Juan Parilla. This program is supported by The Chicago Community Trust and the MacArthur Foundation International Connections Fund.

The performances also feature the world premiere of  "Memorias del Corazon (Memories of the Heart)" choreographed by guest artist Paloma Gomez, and  popular works from the Ensemble Español’s repertoire, including Gomez’s “La Boda de Luis Alonso” (2012), Ensemble Español Artistic Director Irma Suarez Ruiz’s “El Baile de Luis Alonso” (2010), Juan Mata and Ana Gonzalez’s “Alegrias y Jaleos” (2006), and Ensemble Español Founder Dame Libby Komaiko’s masterpiece, “Bolero” (1993). The work of José Barrios (Cordoba), principal dancer of the Maria Pages Company; Carmela Greco (Madrid), daughter of the legendary José Greco; Flamenco guitarist Antonio Gabarri Jiménez (Madrid); Flamenco singer and guitarist Paco Fonta (Miami); Flamenco guitarist David Chiriboga (Ecuador); Flamenco singer, Manuel Palacin (Madrid) and Venezuelan-born percussionist, Javier Saume Mazzei is also reflected in the performances.



Works scheduled to be performed in the June 17-19 “Flamenco Passion” performances are as follows:
  • “La Boda de Luis Alonso (The Wedding of Luis Alonso)” (2012), choreographed by  Paloma Gómez.  This work, performed by the Ensemble Español’s company dancers, was choreographed to the first of a trio of compositions inspired by a text written by Javier de Burgos. 
  • “Duende Gitana (Gypsy Soul)” (2010), choreographed by Irma Suarez Ruiz to music by Geronimo Gimenez.
  • “El Baile de Luis Alonso (The Dance of Luis Alonso)” (2010) choreographed by Ensemble Español Artistic Director Irma Suarez Ruiz. This work, set to the third of a trio of compositions inspired by a written text by Javier de Burgos, is performed by the Ensemble Español company dancers.
  • “Ausencia, Gris, Faruca (Absence, Grey, Farruca)” (U.S. Premiere), choreographed and performed by guest artist Angel Rojas. This work premiered in 2012 at the Flamenco festival of Tampere in Finland.
  • “Basque” (1984), choreographed by Juanjo Linares, and performed by Ensemble Ensemble Español company dancers and members of the Youth Company.
  • “Memorias del Corazon (Memories of the Heart)” (World Premiere), choreographed and performed by guest artist Paloma Gomez. Says Gomez, “This choreography is born from my deepest and sincerest admiration of Dame Libby’s love, passion and devotion to Spanish dance.”
  • “Iroko” (World Premiere), choreographed by Angel Rojas and Carlos Rodriguez, original music by Juan Parilla. Rojas and Rodriguez join the Ensemble Español company dancers for this Flamenco contemporary ballet, commissioned to honor Ensemble Español’s 40th Anniversary year. “Iroko” is supported by The Chicago Community Trust, the John T. and Catherine D. MacArthur Foundation’s prestigious International Connections Fund and Northeastern Illinois University.
  • "Alegrias y Jaleos,"(2006), choreographed by Juan Mata and Ana Gonzalez, former first dancers and founding members of the National Ballet of Spain for the Company for Ensemble Español's 30th Anniversary. This work reflects the joy and happiness of Flamenco’s important and popular song forms from the southwestern sea coast province of Cadiz  Alegrias and incorporates one of the oldest gypsy dances. It is dedicated to legendary master teacher, choreographer dancer and Director of Centro Andaluz de Danza, José Granero (1936-2006).
  • “Errante (Wandering)” (2015) (U.S. Premiere), choreographed and performed by guest artist Carlos Rodriguez.
  • “Algazara”( 2013), choreographed by José Barrios, principal dancer of the Maria Pages Company. Guest dancers, musicians and the Ensemble Español’s Company and Youth Company dancers are featured in this festive work that begins with the dramatic sounds of the cajon (percussive instrument) and incorporates the Buleria Flamenco style featuring a twelve count rhythm.
  • “Cinco Tiempos Para Amar (Five Times to Love)” (2010) choreographed and performed by Carmela Greco, daughter of the legendary José Greco, to music by guest Flamenco guitarist, Antonio Gabarri Jimenez.  This Flamenco solo is set to the music and lyrics of the Martinete & Siguiriya, in the Cante Jondo (deep song) style, the saddest and most dramatic songs of Flamenco, with musical arrangement and composition by Jimenez.
  • “Bolero” (1993) choreographed by Ensemble Español Founder Dame Libby Komaiko performed to music by Maurice Ravel (1875-1937). Since its creation, Komaiko’s “Bolero” has been seen by more than one million people on stages around the country and internationally and featured in two documentaries. The “Flamenco Passion” 2016 performances of “Bolero” are made possible in part by the Cherry Family Foundation.
Selections/artists subject to change.


Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theater and Center

Under the artistic and executive leadership of Founder and Artistic Director, Dame Libby Komaiko, Artistic Director, Irma Suárez Ruiz and Executive Director, Jorge Perez, Ensemble Español is internationally recognized as the premier Center for Spanish Dance, Music and Culture in America. Its 40 sensational dancers, singers, instrumentalists with international guest artists, promotes Spanish dance culture in all its forms – from Flamenco to traditional folkloric to classical renaissance to the 21st century.

In 1982, Dame Libby became the first American artist in history to be decorated with Spain's highest honor "Lazo de Dama" (Ribbon of the Dame) by his Majesty Don Juan Carlos I, King of Spain for her artistic, cultural and educational work throughout the United States. In 2011, United States President, Barack Obama, congratulated the Ensemble Español for their work in presenting this art form to the many communities served locally, nationally and internationally. The Ensemble Español has been in residence at Northeastern Illinois University since 1976.

Throughout the company’s 40 year history, Ensemble Español has changed lives through their education and outreach efforts. To date it has has awarded more than 2,600 scholarships, trained  more than 160 youth dancers and 90 youth apprentices to become professionals in the arts world, and this August, will conduct its inaugural artistic/cultural educational tour to Spain.

For more information about Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theater and Center visit ensembleespanol.org.

Ensemble Español’s the 40th International American Spanish Dance & Music Festival June 8-15 
Listing of Events

The elegance and passion of Spain’s dance, music and culture is showcased in the 40th American Spanish Dance & Music Festival, Wednesday, June 8 through Sunday, June 25. The Chicago Sun-Times hails this 12-day celebration of Spanish culture as “a date worth keeping every summer.”  For Festival updates visit ensembleespanol.org.



Festival events are as follows:

Wednesday, June 8, 8 p.m.  
Duende Flamenco Music & Dance Concert
The Old Town School of Folk Music, 4544 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago
Tickets: Free. Call 773.728.6000 or visit oldtownschool.org
This event is SOLD OUT

Tuesday, June 14, 12:15 p. m. 
An International Passion - Panel Discussion
Chicago Cultural Center ~ Claudia Cassidy Theatre, 78 E. Washington St., Chicago
Free and Open to the Public
For Questions: Josephine DiCesare at (773) 442-5916, or via email at G-DiCesare@neiu.edu

Friday, June 17 and Saturday, June 18 at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, June 19 at 3 p.m.
“Flamenco Passion” Performances
North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, 9501 Skokie, Blvd., Skokie, Ill.
Tickets: $26-$46. Free parking is available. Call 847.673.6300 or visit northshorecenter.org/EE40

June 20-25
Spanish Dance Classes and Flamenco Master Workshops
Northeastern Illinois University Dance Studios, Building J.
5500 N. St. Louis Dr., Chicago.
Registration/more information: contact Festival Coordinator Joséphine DiCesare at 773.442.5916 or via email at G-Dicesare@neiu.edu

Artists and events subject to change.

Festival Sponsors: Northeastern Illinois University, Wintrust Banks, Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, Illinois Arts Council,  Caerus Foundation Inc., The Driehaus Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, N.I.B. Foundation, Holiday Inn Chicago North Shore,  Cherry Family Foundation, Southwest Airlines, José Greco Foundation, Splash Magazine/Chicago Sun-Times and Negocios Now.

Media Sponsors: Univision Chicago, Arte y Vida Chicago, Telemundo Chicago, Comcast, La Raza, Spanish Public Radio, Arte y Vida, Hispanic Pro, Negocios Now.


Festival Collaborators: Instituto Cervantes, Chicago Tourist Office of Spain, Old Town School of Folk Music, North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, International Latino Cultural Center,  Chicago Dance Supply, Studio Mangiameli, Flamenco Arts Center, Clinard Dance Theater, Flamenco Chicago LLC.

Sunday, June 12, 2016

RECAP: Clutch and C of C Rock Piere's in Fort Wayne

CLUTCH, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY, VALKYRIE, HELL CAME HOME


Piere's 
Hub Entertainment Center
Fort Wayne, IN 6/10/16

Check out our full set of Clutch shots here:
More favorites are embedded below


By the time they hit the 25 year mark, it's rare bands are still together, with all the original members alive and still on speaking terms. And of those bands, most are nostalgia tours, only regurgitating hits from decades ago. Few are still producing new material prolifically and fewer still are improving with age like wine and cheese... and Clutch. 


Back in the mid 90's when we were first dating, my future husband and I hit a number of live Clutch shows, and their music, along with other 90's metal, punk and grunge bands, was a soundtrack for some of the best times we ever had with friends. So it was fitting that this year Dug & I spent our actual 16th anniversary on a Clutch/ Corrosion Of Conformity road trip. Traditional anniversary gift guides say hollow silver like tea pots and vases, is the suggested gift for the 16th anniversary, but I'd take live metal over hollow silver any day, especially if it's Clutch! Best. Anniversary. Ever. 




We hopped on the band wagon with their first release and never jumped off. Their sound has varied a bit over the years, but we always adored them for their steadfast refusal to sell out. They continued to fly under the radar, playing what they love and loving what they played, for decades, not changing their sound or their look. And we continued to see them live every chance we got.





My children who are now teens were raised on Clutch and were thrilled to finally see them live, back in 2008 at Summer Camp Music Festival. My kids ran around the on site camp grounds happily belting out Shogun Named Marcus, Rats, and other favorites. Clutch's early releases are still in heavy rotation on our iPods.

Clutch Fans, the next generation 
My kids, Dugan (7) & Sage (5) w/ the guitar Dugan won at Kidzapalooza. ©Kenaz-Mara 2008

Then came Earth Rocker and Psychic Warfare and the world discovered our little secret. Clutch is an insanely good band with killer riffs, literate lyrics and a powerful sound that will seep into your brain cell and never let go. We've featured the band over 25 times and hope they don't stop doing their thing any time in the near future. 





More Clutch Favorites From Piere's 
Fort Wayne, IN 6/10/16:

 Clutch has the best fans ever. 


Piere's even had a great ADA section to the side of the stage with decent sight lines for those on crutches and wheelchair bound.



Maryland boy, Neil bringing a bit of home town on the road with a Washington DC's 9:30 Club Tee. DC Sound Attack indeed.










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